Counterattack Failed

(I feel like this chapter is written in a gay tone, so please read with caution. I guess the author has been spending too much time on construction sites.)

"It's you, Teach!" Sensing the familiar power fluctuation behind him, Ace smiled instead of getting angry. Using the gravity, he took the initiative to meet it, holding a fireball dozens of feet in size in his hand.

Luffy, who had been in a daze, snapped out of it at the sight and shouted, "Ace, wait! It's Shanks!"

As if a thunderbolt had struck, everyone who was engrossed in the fight involuntarily widened their eyes and looked over, their eyes still filled with disbelief.

There's an irreconcilable hatred between Red Hair and Nightmare. How could he possibly set aside his dignity and hatred to become Nightmare's subordinate? Besides, judging from that person's previous behavior, he was practically Nightmare's most loyal dog. How could such a person be Red Hair?

Seeing Luffy burst into his maximum speed and block his way, Ace angrily shouted, "Luffy, get out of my way! How could this scum who has turned to darkness be Shanks? Don't be fooled by that bastard Teach!"

"Even if I've never truly understood anyone or anything in my entire life... how could I possibly be wrong about that moment!"

"Get out of my way!"

"Ace, this is the only thing that absolutely cannot be done!"

"I said... Haven't you guys had enough? Shanks? What a joke, I don't remember ever having that name! Besides, I've never needed a weakling like you to protect me!" Cold words came from behind Luffy.

Sabo was secretly alarmed. When Luffy recklessly exposed his back to the enemy, his heart sank. But he didn't expect the other party to ignore it. Was it because he disdained it or because he didn't want to?

"If you really aren't Shanks, why didn't you dare use your Devil Fruit Ability before? With your swordsmanship and that Devil Fruit Ability, the three of us shouldn't be a match for you!"

Luffy turned around and looked directly into the man in black's eyes. "If you're not Shanks, then dare you take off your mask and let me see who you really are!"

"Enough! I don't have time to mess around with you here. Think what you want, but if you take another step forward, I will kill you!"

"Alright, since you're unwilling to take off your mask yourself, then I'll do it."

Meanwhile, Koala, who had been monitoring the situation inside the Royal City, quickly issued an order, "Attention all Revolutionary Army units, begin the counterattack now. While ensuring your own safety, try not to harm the civilians who have been brainwashed by the Nightmare. If you encounter the Marine Headquarters and the World Government's forces, be careful not to clash with them, but also be cautious. We and the World Government are only temporarily at a standstill for the current position; we are still enemies in essence."

"Commander Koala, the enemy's firepower is too fierce and they are fearless. In particular, those mechanical warriors called 'Andromon' have the terrifying power to wipe out an entire army. We can no longer resist them and are requesting reinforcements!"

"Emergency assistance needed..."

"Emergency call to command center..."

Less than five minutes into the counterattack, urgent requests for assistance from various war zones arrived like paper scraps. Even though Koala was mentally prepared, he was still shocked to see this.

The enemy's army consisted almost entirely of fanatical believers brainwashed by Nightmare, whose willpower was unmatched even by revolutionary fighters with unwavering convictions.

In a typical army, a casualty rate of 30% might lead to a rout, while the Revolutionary Army's minimum was 60%, with some even managing to fight at near 100% casualty rates. However, the enemy was a fanatical force that maintained its fervent beliefs even with a 100% casualty rate. In this respect, how could a normal person compare to a fanatical madman?

Needless to say, Nightmare itself possesses the world's largest arms factory. After absorbing the former Marine Headquarters Science Unit, it rapidly upgraded the entire army, even acquiring terrifying weapons that surpassed those of this era by thirty years.

Not to mention the perpetually impoverished Revolutionary Army, even the incredibly wealthy Marine Headquarters and World Government were completely outmatched by the enemy in terms of equipment.

The fact that they could hold out for even five minutes under such difficult circumstances was already a testament to the Revolutionary Army's unwavering will.

"Don't panic! Quickly deploy the Magnetic Storm Bomb I gave you before the battle. They are secret weapons that can cut off the enemy's electronic signals. With these, their advanced equipment and mechanical warriors will all become a pile of scrap metal!"

Koala was full of confidence and prepared to launch a brainwashing attack. Since their technology level was inferior to theirs, they would try their best to bring the opponent's technological power down to their own level, and then use their rich experience to crush them.

"It works! Great! The enemy's equipment and mechanical warriors are all..." The excited voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi didn't last long before it became panicked again. "Wait... Andromon has restarted! It's back to normal! Oh no! Our forces are no match for it! The C3 war zone has suffered heavy losses! Requesting support!"

"B4 War Zone..."

"A1 War Zone..."

"How is that possible? Does the enemy have a second backup energy system that isn't powered by electricity at all?" For a moment, Koala panicked. This was different from the battle plan they had devised before the war!

As the red alert kept ringing in her ears, Koala's heart was bleeding. This was the elite force of their Revolutionary Army. If they were all lost here, how would they overthrow the World Government in the future?

After a moment's hesitation, Koala issued the order with difficulty, "Attention all Revolutionary Army units, immediately carry out a strategic withdrawal, hand over the main battlefield to the Marine Headquarters and the World Government, and we will conduct guerrilla harassment from the enemy's rear to create favorable combat conditions for the main battlefield."

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi before a weak voice came through. "But... the World Government and Marine Headquarters forces have already been annihilated! They started fleeing two minutes ago. If it weren't for those idiots breaking up our formation, we wouldn't have had to call for help so early!"

Koala nearly coughed up blood. Why was her command post completely unaware of this? Didn't you plan to report something so important beforehand?

Furthermore, the World Government is one thing, but why has the once elite Marine Headquarters degenerated into this state? Is it because the wounds from two years ago have not yet healed?

Koala gritted his teeth, then sadly issued the retreat order, "Begin an orderly withdrawal from the battlefield now, disperse into smaller groups throughout the continent, and await the organization's next call."

Koala chuckled self-deprecatingly. How ironic! Full of confidence, they had united the Marine Headquarters and the World Government's forces to conquer this continent, only to be utterly destroyed by the enemy in less than ten minutes. Perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, they were just there to make a fool of themselves.

Koala prayed in his heart, now he could only hope that Sabo and his men's decapitation strike would succeed!